The Opelousas courier., 1887-09-24
Court at Crowley.

We copy the following extract from Judge
Estilette's charge to the Grand Jury of Aca-
dia from the Rayne Signal Of the 18th inst:
There is scarcely person within this room
who cannot recall an instance where a homi-
eide was attributable in great part Il the car
rying OF concealed weapons. This practice,
unfortunately, is too common aud reflects no
crdit on the community where it exists The
law prohibits no man from carrying weapons,
provided they are not concealed. but it has
affixed o penalty to be visited on these who
conceal them about their persons. Let such
as violate the law be made to suffer for il as
the law directs.
In calling the attention OF the members of
the Grand Jury to the laws regulating the
sale of Intoxicating liquors the Judge said:
mere reference to the acts Of the legisla-
ture regulating the sale of liquors is not a full
filment of my duty. There is no more fruit
full source OF misery and crime than is found
in intoxicating liquors Much as we may diff
fer on questions OF temperance and prohibi-
tion, all good men will readily admit that the
abuse OF liquors more than any other one
cause, fills our asylums for the insane, crowds
onr prisons with criminals, erects gallows for
the expiation of crime, drags down the bright
est intellects into the gutter, converts once
happy homes into novels of grinding want and
misery, furrows the cheeks of wives and wild
ows with tears, takes the bread from the
mouths of hungry children, and sends thous-
To mitigate the evils consequent on the
abuse of Intoxicating liquors has been a sub
ject OF great concern with all good govern
ments, and many and various have been the
remedies suggested. | have read to you our
laws, and it behooves you to aid this court in
strict enforcement Of their provisions. They
may fall short of the necessities of the times
we are however not the law makers our
province is to explain and apply the law as
we find it.
| Judge Estilette concluded his charge in the
! following words:
Before allowing you to retire deem it pro
| per to say something, relative to the peculiar
| circumstances surrounding us. Acadia is 8
| new parish with a bright destiny before it
4 It is beautiful to look at, and cannot fail tt
attract theatte ntion of the lovers of nature
1 it is for the most part settled by the descen
| dants of those unfortunate Acadians who dis
persed and driven from their far distant
/ homes after many days of wandering and suf
4 fering settled along the Teche and in the love
! ly Attakapas and Opelousas prairies. Poet!
have sung their praises immortaiZed thel
noble traits of character; and their history /!
| d heritage precious to everyone in whose veins
courses the creole blood. In old Acadia, il
not distinguished for proficiency in the arts
and sciences our ancestors were noted Tor thel
kind disposition, their frugality, justice, thei
proverbial honesty and their strict observance
of the laws of God and man; and because
they possessed these virtues they were a hap
py and contented people.
Having adopted the name of that distan
land, by which it was known to Evangelin
4 and her companions, see that by strict per
formance of the sacred duties now devolvin&
upon you as the first grand jurors of this ney
parish you give to your fellow men proof con
elusive that law and order, shall reign sn
preme through hout Acadia. -